Despite a heartbreaking finish to the 2026 season in Charleston, Rhode Island FC Captain Koke Vegas and Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith spoke with pride and optimism as the club looks ahead to 2027, addressing the media in Tuesday’s postseason press conference.
Koke Vegas | 2026 Postseason Press Conference
“Charleston was one of the best games in club history. I do not remember any other game in our history where I see in front of me every single player – the 11 that were on the pitch, the guys that were outside, the staff – giving not 100 percent, but 200 percent…everybody doing everything to defend, everybody in the first half doing everything to press them and make them really uncomfortable at their place.
I feel really proud, even though we lost. Obviously it was sad, it was heartbreaking, it was frustrating, it was so many things, so many emotions that we lived through that day. Right now, after a few days, proud is the word that comes to my mind…with that effort, more often than not, we are going to leave the stadium with a victory.”
Khano Smith | 2026 Postseason Press Conference
“That was one of the best first halves we have played all year…Fantastic first half performance [at Charleston], but we just need to close that game out.
I am proud of the way they performed and fought, even in extra time. You look at Grant Stoneman going down and going until he could not go anymore. So many guys, Frank Nodarse, Hugo Bacharach, all those guys just digging in, it is just unfortunate [how it ended].
Up until three games to go, we could have got fourth. Instead, we end up in seventh and we got to the second-place team, and No. 1 Tampa loses to No. 8 Miami. It’s so, so close…every game is a coin flip. It’s small details that make a difference, and I think our season was a microcosm of that.”
